Ted Poore plans to build on the success of predecessors as Madison County superintendent

Ted Poore, the new superintendent of Madison County Schools, plans to keep the system's excellence going without disrupting the norm too much.

In a media conference Thursday, Dec. 14, Poore said the "ship isn't sinking," so he doesn't necessarily have any big changes to make once he steps into his new position.

Madison County Schools recently announced that Poore will take over once current Superintendent Charlotte Seals retires on July 1, 2024.

Poore, a native of the Mississippi Delta, has been a prominent figure in the Madison County public school system for decades, serving in roles that include vice principle, principal and assistant superintendent.

Seals, superintendent for the past five years, announced her retirement in early November. Poore, 64, said he had plans to retire himself until he accepted this position. As far as how long he plans to stay, he said it might not be 10 years, but he'll serve as long as they need him to. He looks forward to a new, younger generation of school administration coming soon.

"It's not always easy to follow a great leader, but I take that as a compliment," Poore said. "Charlotte Seals and others before her have led this district to great heights, so it's a challenge, but it's also a great opportunity."

Poore is working closely with Seals as deputy superintendent until her retirement. Seals joined the Madison School District in the mid-1990s, a couple of years before Poore joined.

More on Poore's background: Madison County Schools announces new superintendent. What we know

With nationwide education-related concerns such as teacher shortages and the threat of school shootings, Poore said he is ready to tackle the issues, following systems that have already been put into place by past administration.

The summer will have a focus on hiring a solid staff of teachers, Poore said, adding that the location of the Madison School District and its history of academic success make all the schools attractive to incoming workforce. He said he has seen the impact of a nationwide teacher shortage, but is hopeful that teachers will want to come to the Madison schools because of the good reputation.

Poore said special education programs are particularly suffering in the teacher shortage, but is confident that it won't be too much of a problem. This is the first year in his memory that Madison schools started the year with teacher vacancies, but Poore said those were filled fairly quickly.

School safety remains a priority for Poore and his staff. Preventative measures such as annual training for teachers so they know what to do in the event of a school shooting will continue, he said.

Earlier in the year, videos of frequent physical fights at Madison Central circulated on social media. Poore said the policies already put into place, including punishments and preventative measures assure him that an outbreak of fights is not a concern.

"When you think about the fact that we've got 14,000 students in our schools, we really haven't had an outbreak," Poore said. "(Teachers) can't be watching everything every minute of the day, so sometimes those things are going to happen. We feel like we've got measures in place to prevent it."

Overall, Poore doesn't want to change much. He said there isn't much that needs changing. He is looking forward to working with the teachers and staff that directly impact students. Many of those staff members are already well-acquainted with Poore.

"We have some administrators that I taught or that I was principal for when they were students in our schools, so there's already an established relationship with so many of the staff members in our district," Poore said. "And so that's just really reassuring. Really this business of education is a people business. That's what we're in … I think that the stronger those relationships, the more successful the district."

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ted Poore lays out plans as new Madison County Schools superintendent